


Snow

by jonghotz



Series: a lifetime [3]
Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Small Town, Family Issues, Internal Conflict, Light Angst, M/M, Non-Chronological, Self-Acceptance, Winter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-27
Updated: 2019-08-03
Packaged: 2020-02-07 10:22:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18618685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jonghotz/pseuds/jonghotz
Summary: He look back at Mingi, opening the door for him and letting him in first. Standing there for a moment, watching his back. This all was easier a few months ago, when his deepest feelings weren't in touch with his deepest fears.





	1. Snow

"Mingi" Yunho warned. "Mingi, if you get nowhere near me with the snow I'm going to smash you."

"Okay, okay." The blonde boy said with a smile.

"I'm being serious, don't do it." Yunho was walking backwards, he knew his... he didn't even knew what they were, at least not anymore. Best friends. But he have known Mingi for so long that he was sure he knew him better than he knew himself. Which wasn't a difficult thing, if he was being honest. Yunho didn't knew about himself that well.

"I'm not gonna do it. Look." The other boy crouched down, letting the snowball he had on his hand.

Still with uneven, Yunho keeps his eyes on him until they were standing right in front of each other.

"Fool." He murmured, pretty sure Mingi didn't heard him before leaning to a hug.

"Hey!" The blonde screamed when he felt the cold of the snow going down his spine. "Bastard!"

Mingi was jiggling to get rid of the cold intruder on his back. And Yunho was just laughing so hard it hurted.

"I hate you!" Mingi screamed when the snowball was out of his back. "I trusted you!" He wanted to seem angry, but he was smiling so hard it would be difficult for Yunho to found him nowhere close to serious.

"I'm sorry." He murmured and get close to him, with caution, because there was no way he would trust Mingi after what he just did.

"If I get sick I will blame you."

"You got all the rights." Yunho laughed.

"Did your parents left already?" Mingi suddenly asked.

"I think so. I'm pretty sure I heard their car like ten minutes ago."

And he shouldn't have trusted him, such a fast change on the direction of the conversation should have been an enough warning. Because when he turned around, in less than three seconds his hair was full white, snow falling to his shoulder.

"I deserved that." He admitted while trying to get rid, with the help of Mingi, of all the snow on his hair.

"Did your parents really left?"

"Yes, I think so." He paused, shaking his head one last time. "Wanna go in? They will not be back on three hours at least."

He felt ashamed of hiding, but his parents weren't ready for any of the things he wanted to tell them. Yunho really didn't know himself.

Mingi face changed, hesitation all over it. Maybe his question didn't include second intentions. And Yunho didn't knew why he himself was looking for that kind of intentions anyway.

"I-" The blonde started. His eyes looking everywhere except Yunho, as if his face was too much for him to handle at the moment. His mouth opened again, but just like a fish, because nothing came out.

"We can drink hot chocolate or something. I think they are rerunning some Marvel movies." Yunho decided to put him out of his misery. Only getting a nod as an answer. He started walking into his house. When did they relationship turned into something so awkward that even the most simple thing like watching a movie together hold a such strong feeling. He felt like they were always walking on eggs.

And it was all his fault and he knew that. He didn't need for Seonghwa to tell him or for Hongjoong to look at him with disapproving eyes. He knew. He took all the blame.

He look back at Mingi, opening the door for him and letting him in first. Standing there for a moment, watching his back. This all was easier a few months ago, when his deepest feelings weren't in touch with his deepest fears.


	2. Bread

Yunho stood there next to his mother while she was kneading the dough. They were about to bake bread, as every Sunday after church. It was a tradition. His mother loved to cook, he didn't. They, he and his parents, had a lot of differences.

"Make some tea." She order, not looking at him, eyes still on the dough.

Yunho moved silently, putting the teapot on the fire, staying there looking at it as if it was going to make it boil faster.

"Mom." He said after a while.

She hummed, now making the shapes of the bread. Her bread was delicious, Yunho's grandfather was a baker. He died years ago, Yunho was barely three years old, so there was no way he would remember him except for the photos his mother had all over the house.

"Can Mingi stay this weekend?" It was hard for him to let those words out. Everything that had the bare minimum relation with Mingi make the atmosphere of the house drop a few degrees. The four members of the family found it extremely uncomfortable to talk about the teenanger that once used to be another son of the family. Maybe it was because of the past relation and the recent events.

"Sleep here?" She asked. Yunho noticed that she didn't want to say it as if it was a big deal, when he knew it was.

"Yes."

"Maybe another weekend? We wanted to go the ice rink."

_'That wasn't a problem last year'_ He thought to himself.

Yunho looked at her, just to catch his mother looking at him with a smile. He could only nod, also forcing a smile to his face.

"Watch the water." She said, signalling the teapot with her head.

Five minutes later the tea was perfectly brewed. Beautiful seated on three cups. One for his mother, one for his brother and one for him.

"Call Minjae." She said while letting the tray of bread into the oven.

Yunho went up the stairs at the order of his mother, looking for his brother.

"Jae!" He screamed, but not to loud. His parents never liked it when they screamed.

"What?" His little brother said, snapping his head out of his room.

"Tea time." Yunho tried not to laugh. Minjae was only four years younger, but puberty haven't hit him yet. Next to his old brother he looked really small.

"Okay, coming." He said with a sigh before stepping out of his room.

"What were you doing?" Yunho asked, to which Minjae shocked his head. "C'mon, tell me."

They were good friends, they had to be. His parents, they weren't bad parents, not at all, but they weren't exactly the most supporting or understanding. Things as feelings were never discussed on the house. With this, the only help could have was each other. He didn't want his brother to grown up in a house feeling like he was alone, like he couldn't trust in nobody.

"I was dancing." He ended saying in a whisper.

"Oh really? Mingi is really good at dancing. Maybe you two can dance together someday." Yunho answered with a smile, voice still low.

"Okay." Minjae said with a smile.

Minjae and Mingi liked each other, for that Yunho was glad. Two of the most important persons in his life should have a good relationship, and luckily they did.

Mingi, who hadn't talk to him in three days. Ignoring him and sometimes even running away from him. He missed him. He always did. Mingi was his other half, he knew that, Mingi knew that.

Soulmates.

That's what Hongjoong called them once. Everything would be nice. He reminded himself. He was able to fix everything. He should be. He was the one with all the issues. He should fix them. But he should fix himself first.  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!  
> My twitter is @jonghotz if you want to comment anything there, my DMs are always open.


	3. Ice

_ "I'm gonna fall." Mingi called for him. "Yunho." Once again. "Yunho." He was actually laughing, because even when the wellbeing of his butt was in danger Mingi will always found a reason to laugh. _

_ "You are okay." Yunho said, extending his arms to him. "Just try to come here." They were barely one meter apart, but that seems to be like kilometers to Mingi when instead of shoes he had blades at his feet. Ice was dangerous. _

_ It was the beginning of winter, Christmas Eve was tomorrow and Yunho, his family, and Mingi were all on the ice rink, having a great fun time. They were thirteen, Minjae wasn't even ten yet. _

"Yunho!" His brother called for him, making Yunho turn around really fast to catch him on his arms, as they always used to do. As he used to do with Mingi all those years back. He was so tired of all his memories going back to him, but this was their moment. Winter, it was their time.

Mingi was a summer child, born in a summer city, moved to their small town next to the mountains when he was barely eight. He never liked winter, that's why it was their time, because it was when Yunho could teach him all he knew about his favourite season. Winter mean hot chocolate, his mother's cookies, ice rink on Saturday evening, his grandma's soups. Winter later started to mean snow fights with Mingi, and movie marathons with Mingi. And then this year kissing Mingi. And disappointing his parents.

Minjae called for him one more time. "Thank you for playing with me." He said once they were already out.

"No problem." It actually wasn't.

"I wish Mingi was here. Is funny how he can't still skate even when he have been coming with us for so long." His little brother say laughing, probably remembering how the last time they came, the past winter, Mingi still fell on his butt two time. It was some progress considering it used to be four or five.

"He is really bad at it, yeah." Yunho answered, also laughing. The pressure on his chest was still there, growing stronger and stronger every time someone mentioned his best friend's name.

"I should call him." He suddenly said, surprising even himself. Mingi was avoiding him, but Yunho never tried to take him back, to make him stay.

Minjae didn't seem to be listening to him, taking his bag and heading out of the building with his parents.

**** To: Mings   
Hey!   
Wanna go to the ice rink this Monday?   
-20:21   



	4. Frost

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! This is just a diclaimer. I do NOT hate the Christian community, me myself am part of it. But I am well aware that there is a side of the community that is really hateful, and I do believe that part isn't a good example of what God means, at least to me. So please don't get mad at me, call this a reality check or even a self-drag but I did not write this with hateful intentions.  
> Love always! Love wins!

_ "What is this?" Curious eight years old Mingi asked to his new friends. They were all looking out at the window of their classroom. _

_ A young Wooyoung turned to him and laughing. "Winter." He said on that high pitched voice of him. _

_ "No!" Yunho said really fast. "It's just frost." _

_ Mingi looked at the ice on the tree in front of their class. "It looks like snow." He commented, making Wooyoung smile. _

_ "You see!" The now happier boy screamed back. _

_ "Snow falls from the sky, God sends it so you can play with your friends and family. Frost is when it's too cold, and it you try to touch it you're going to get hurt." Yunho said sitting back down on his seat, showing a proud smile, probably because he knew more about snow and frost than his friends. _

_ "My mom says God doesn't exist." Yeosang suddenly spoke, a weird occurrence this days. _

_ "That's why your father left her." Rude, extremely rude. _

_ Mingi didn't like Yunho that much, but he liked Wooyoung and San, and they were friends with him, so he just tagged along. But Yunho was rude, especially if it was a the mention of God, or heaven. Mingi's parents were not christians, and they didn't believe in any kind of religion, they weren't even married. He knew Yunho went to church every Sunday with his family, that he went to a christian summer camp every year, that he prayed every night. _

_ "You are really mean." Mingi got brave. He have never been a coward, but he have only been friends with this kids since the beginning of the school year, and his mother have always told him to be nice. But Yunho wasn't being nice right now, so there was no point of being nice to him, he didn't deserve it. _

_ "You are." Wooyoung agreed, and they all move from Yunho's table, going to Yeosang's instead, leaving him alone by the cold window. _

It took some years for Mingi to understand, that it wasn't Yunho, it was his family, the community he was part of, that claimed to be so warm yet was so close minded. In that time Mingi learned about Yunho. It took him years, not until he kissed him to realise the battle his best friend was fighting on his head.

Yunho was confused, and lost, and nobody was there to help him, not even Mingi, he couldn't do much. At some point on that winter Mingi understood that his presence was only causing more trouble to Yunho's life. So he decided to part ways, even if it was for a few days, that turned into a full week without his intention.

He was confused to, because the boy that kissed him a few months ago was his best friend. At first he thought it was just a one time thing, something like an experiment. But then Yunho did it again, and again, and again, and when they were kissing for the fifth time Mingi had to stop him.  _ 'What are we? _ ' he never asked, choosing to stay away instead, probably his first mistake. After that all became uncomfortable, and they started to grow apart.

Soulmates. Hongjoong had once said. Soulmates always find each other, Mingi wanted to believe. He didn't knew if he liked Yunho that way, but he loved him, as a friend and as his other half. The bond they have created over the years was strong, getting away from him was like a giving a part of himself and he knew he couldn't do that. So he trusted in himself, and in Yunho.

Soulmates always find the way.

**** To: Ho   
Sounds nice! See you there.   
-21:19   


**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!  
> My twitter is @jonghotz if you want to comment anything there, my DMs are always open.


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